Raniya Washington
Arts Scholar
Pentathlon
Semester 1
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my first semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Pentathlon 1: Immersive Media Design New Works Incubator Showcase
Friday September 9, 2022, The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering, Immersive Media Design New Works Incubator Showcase
#visualart
Attending this event, I didn’t know what to expect, but it was truly amazing. The blend of science and art is very intriguing to me, and I am glad that I was able to experience it. There were various projects and all of them had different focuses. One used technology to create a scavenger hunt with Testudo around the campus, another harnessed a virtual reality headset, and my favorite was a display of spatial audio and how language impacts art. I wonder since there are virtually no limits to how far one may go using immersive media design, what can this do for the world? These innovations have the power to change how we live and what life as a whole means. When we put on headphones and a virtual reality headset, we can enter new worlds, explore a life outside of our own, and be entertained for hours on end. If this is what people can create now, then what will we create in the future? It is boundless, limitless, yet all unknown.
I greatly enjoyed attending this event, but I especially enjoyed the display of spatial audio. When you put the headphones on and connect the camera of the tablet to the center of the cube, the words explode into the atmosphere as if you are standing within the sentences. When you click on a phrase through the tablet, the audio will play in the headphones, but the cool part is the volume is dependent on your distance from the floating sentence. The closer you are, the louder it will be and the farther you are, the quieter it will be. The blend of science and art is such a creative innovation that has remarkable capabilities. Similar to the Arts Scholars program, this showcase explores a range of the use of art and integration of art with other practices. Art can be found and added anywhere.
Pentathlon 2: Craft & Chat: Moxie
Friday October 7, 2022, Bel Air Lounge, Craft & Chat: Moxie
#film #ArtsScholars
I am a big movie fan, so I was excited to attend this event even though I had previously seen the movie. In this movie, a group of girls seek to expose the double standards and gender inequalities present in their school. This revolution was led by the anonymous (though not anonymous to us) “Moxie.” She created a magazine targeted towards girls to uplift them and promote a safer environment in the school. The magazine Moxie made uses art to unite the girls and creates a community that comes from everyone reading the magazine and enjoying the artistic collages on each page.
In art scholars we learn that art has an impact. It can make statements and connect people to one another. The magazine told girls to draw hearts and stars on their hand to show their support for Moxie’s mission. When people saw other people with hearts and stars drawn on their hands, they knew that they had a community with them and therefore could feel safe and connected with each other.
I learned that art doesn’t need a voice to go along with it. Art doesn’t need to be explained. Art has a voice of its own that describes itself if the minds of people that experience it. What started this whole movement in the school which created a platform for girls to feel comfortable coming forward was art. People felt heard and seen, and that was achieved through collages, drawings and photos.
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Pentathlon 3: Pumpkin Function
October 20, 2022, Cambridge Community Center, AAB, Pumpkin Function
#presentation #ArtsScholars
I attended an arts advisory board event where we painted pumpkins. It was so fascinating to see how we all picked a pumpkin but designed them in completely different ways. This event was an example of how each person’s expression or statement through their art is different. We all had the same constraints but approached them in diverse ways. In arts scholars we learn that art can be expressed in a multitude of ways. There is no right way to do or classify art. Art can be done in many ways and also perceived in many ways. We painted pumpkins without instructions or steps to follow to lead us all to the same final product. We started at the same point but followed our paths to reach our final products.
I had a fun time painting pumpkins with the other students. I always love times when people come together to work individually, where our brains flow in different directions. To paint my pumpkins, I used purple and brown paint, gloss, and glue on eyeballs. I chose a pumpkin that was orange and green, so I decided not to paint it I only glossed it to keep the pumpkin’s natural pretty colors. I had a fun time painting with music and Kahoot! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and I did as well.
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Pentathlon 4: Writers Here and Now
Wednesday November 2, 2022, Ulrich Recital Hall sponsored by the Jimenez-Porter Writers' House, Writers Here and Now: Airea D. Mathews and Ana Menendez
#literature
When I first entered the recital hall, I did not know what to expect. I didn’t know anything about the readers or their writing. When they began reading, I focused on trying to understand what their stories were about and what information I could gather about them as people. Through this event, I was awakened to the influence that words can have on our thoughts and actions and that they are a driving factor in eliciting change.
Both readers seemed to tell stories about experiences relating to culture, race, hardships, and stereotypes. Matthews’ poetry was a commentary on the experiences of black people and how those experiences affect their views of themselves and the world. Her words were a way of expression and release. Menendez’s novel shared experiences relating to her Cuban culture.
In arts scholars, we learn that art can be many things, represent many things, and come in the form of many things. What we haven’t really addressed (but maybe just haven’t gotten there) is that literature is also an art form. I believe our words have the highest value in expressing ourselves. When we want to share what we think an artwork expresses, we use words to explain those feelings. Literature can also be subjective just like a painting can. I think that literature creates the most room for interpretation. While physical artwork allows us to view it in ways that we see meaning, the image is already there, but in writing, we find meaning in the words and create our own images to go along with it. I find it fascinating that literature can take us to places that only exist in our minds and nowhere else.
Pentathlon 5: Fall M.F.A. Dance Thesis Concert
Thursday November 17, 2022, The Clarice Dance Theatre, Fall M.F.A. Dance Thesis Concert
#dance
Attending this dance concert was a beautiful experience. I went there intending to only stay for the first 30 minutes, but I ended up watching the whole thing. It is fascinating that people can move their bodies in such expressive and enthralling ways. There seems to be an endless amount of dance moves as so many of the moves they did I had never seen before. Watching the three performances, I learned that dance (just as any other art form) can be interpreted in many ways. When they closed the dance and ended with a bow, I was left confused and with so many thoughts as to what it may have meant.
Reflecting on all three performances, I noticed the differences between them. One showed how a body moves and knowing how to move it. Another was a social commentary on black women and black likeness mixing dance and spoken word, and the last… I still need to think on because I am still so confused, but it was very intriguing. Arts scholars teaches us that art can be expressed and taken in many ways. This concert not only executed the art form of dance but also displayed its versatility and how expression can be made through the various forms of dance.
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Pentathlon
Semester 2
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of five art events during my second semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
Pentathlon 1: Black Light Summit
Friday February 9, 2023, Bel Air Lounge, Black Light Summit #dance #artsscholars
The stories that are told through dance are very vivid and descriptive, but the definition can vary based on how one views it. When watching a dance performance, we are not told what to think or what is actually happening. We watch their movements and the expressions on their faces to create a sense of what it all may mean. When watching the performers, I wasn't sure what the story was, but what made watching it more enjoyable was my ability to come up with the story on my own.
What I was able to observe from this performance was that dance forms a creative environment. The choreographers, dancers, stage and lighting crew show their creativity by putting together the show. The audience shows their creativity through the observations and the understanding they gather from what they viewed. It is almost as if the viewer fills in the blanks or connects the dots of what is not directly told with their imagination. Using what is seen and heard they infer what is being shared.
Something I found very interesting about the Black Light Summit was the lighting. There weren't many props or background scenery on the stage because the setting was made with the lighting. Each time the color or the luminosity changed, there was a new vibe that changed the scene completely. Paying attention to the lighting gave me more to appreciate while watching the performers. This event gave me a new perspective on what makes a production special. It is not just the main focal elements it is also everything that goes on behind the scenes.
Pentathlon 2: Ukranian Freedom Orchestra- The Inaugural Concert
Friday February 24, 2023, Met Opera on Demand Student Access, Ukranian Freedom Orchestr- The Inaugural Concert #music
Music always creates captivating and unique experiences. There are so many types of music that draw from all of our emotions. Instrumental music is an excellent representation of that. There aren’t any words that guide our interpretation. We listen and feel what we individually perceive from the sounds. Sometimes music can sound like something someone has heard before. It may take them back to that moment and those emotions. Watching the conductor can help the listeners get a sense of what the musicians are trying to convey. The woman conducting the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra was very expressive with her motions. When there was a dramatic part where the music grew loud and aggressive, her movements foreshadowed what we would soon hear. Watching online allows us the benefit of seeing their faces up close, so we could view the emotions they were feeling while playing.
Listening to the orchestra play reminded me that music is a universal language. No matter what language someone speaks, when we hear music, everyone can understand it. The ability to read music is a skill that I am appreciative to have. Sometimes reading music makes me feel like an I am translating a foreign because I connect letters and sounds to a symbol and then convert that into music on my instrument. What is so beautiful and special about music to me is that it can be an escape. Particular compositions can make you feel like you are somewhere else and your mind transports there. I enjoy it when I am taken somewhere and moved. This orchestra was so talented. I am delighted they share their gifts with us.
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Pentathlon 3: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Friday March 10, 2023, Alexander Street Theater in Video, A Midsummer Night's Dream #theater
I watched the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on a UMD streaming website. I once read the play, so it was nice to see it acted out on a stage with beautiful lighting and sets, costumes, and wonderful actors. This version was an adaptation of the original Shakespeare play. Though it was an adaptation, I found it refreshing that they kept the same language with the use of words such thou, thee, hence, and so one even though it was released in 2014.
One of the overarching themes of this play is love, but with love comes challenges that may not be expected. You aren’t always in control of love and it may not work out in your favor, but you must learn to work with the challenges or else they may consume you. Even though Hermia and Lysander loved each other, and Helena loved Demetrius, Demetrius loved Hermia. There was an imbalance that they needed to figure out how to balance in the end.
As an architecture major, we draw diagrams. One of which is a balance diagram. We look for symmetry and key groupings that bring a building together as a whole. If a building is imbalanced it may not be cohesive and become harder to explain how the space is used and its significance. So, we look for ways to balance a building and find areas that have connections and explain how they are connected. Similar to the play, balance has to be found, but it may be something that one has to look for. When balance is found, relationships and connections become cohesive and easier to rationalize.
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Pentathlon 4: "Chivalry" by Neil Gaiman
Friday April 7, 2023, Lavar Burton Reads, "Chivalry" by Neil Gaiman, #literature
I listened to a story telling of “Chivalry” by Neil Gaiman read by LaVar Burton. LaVar Burton is an amazing storyteller, and he really does a great job of setting the scene with his voice and the music he adds in the background. This was a really sweet story with an elderly lady, Mrs. Whitaker, as the main protagonist. A handsome knight comes to her door one day and this story contrasts with the usual perception of chivalry.
Something that I found refreshing about this story was Mrs. Whitaker’s ability to say yes to what she needs and no to what she doesn’t. She denied receiving things that she didn’t need and didn’t have room for, but accepted what was important to her and made room for them. She kept her romance novels and the holy grail. In arts scholars we talk about where the purpose and story of art may come from. Everyone has their unique background and interests, and they are what influence the art we produce. Mrs. Witaker loved romance novels and she chose to keep them over the other items she was offered. The time she spends diving into a good novel is of value to her. What we value and the morals we carry influence how we live our lives and what we show to the world.
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Pentathlon 5: Lucy
Thursday April 20, 2023, HBO Max, Lucy #film
I watched the movie "Lucy" on HBO Max. "Lucy" was one of the most fascinating movies I have ever seen, and it made me view life differently. It was about a woman named Lucy who was forcefully given a drug, CPH4, that allows her to reach 100% of her brain's capacity.
I am an architecture major, so to design structures while having a scientific understanding of certain functions on Earth, we are required to take physics. The human brain only uses 10% of its capacity. When Lucy reached even 40%, she gained access to the signals on Earth. She could see electromagnetic waves, remember everything she has ever seen, and even said she could feel the gravity and the Earth's rotation. Sciences such as physics and astronomy are ways for humans to break down the universe and understand it. It is an art form of its own to take the abstraction of the universe and pick it apart to make our lives on Earth logical and to make its inner working visible. Lucy said that the only true unit of measurement is time. When a video of a car driving is sped up to a very high speed, the car disappears. Our man-made units of measure break down time into human scale. To me, films like "Lucy" represent the desire of innovative minds to understand the world. I honestly think this movie was a realistic depiction of what humans may achieve if we access 100% of our brain's capacity.
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TRYathlon
Semester 3
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of three art events during my third semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
TRYathlon #1: Elemental
September 16, 2023, Disney +, Elemental, #Film
I watched the Disney Pixar animation Elemental. This movie traveled through themes of self-discovery and acceptance. Fire was isolated from the other elements and not accepted as easily into the city until everyone learned that fire wasn’t so dangerous and had unique talents to offer to the rest. Ember, a fire element, struggled to find what she wanted to do with her life. She questioned if she should follow her father’s dreams for her or find what she really wanted to do. With the help of a new friend Wade, a water element, Ember was able to discover her skill in glass making.
If Ember were to never explore beyond her father’s shop, she would never have uncovered her future in glass making. In Arts Scholars we are introduced to various styles, forms, and mediums of art which can help us uncover what we enjoy most and are best at too. If we are unable to experience beyond what we already know, we will never get to find what we may be really great at or have a true passion for. Sticking to what we know, what our parents want, or what society wants for us will only limit us from finding our potential and success.
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TRYathlon #2: Craft & Chat: Cabochon Pendant Making
Wednesday October 11, 2023, Bel Air, Craft & Chat: Cabochon Pendant Making, #Artsscholars #presentation
I attended an arts scholars craft and chat on pendant making. When we arrived, there were various tools and materials for us to use to make our pendants. We could choose from different pendant holders and chord colors and draw our pendant design or make it from magazine paper. I chose to use the black chord, a rusted silver colored pendant holder, and I made my design using hole punched magazine paper. I really enjoy patchwork and quilt textiles, so when I found the patterns that I used in the magazine, I was so excited and knew what I was going to make right away. The pattern from the magazine looked like small pieces of fabric, so I used a hole puncher to make small pieces and then arranged those pieces to create a kind of patchwork collage.
Though everyone in attendance was given the same materials and instructions, there were so many different outcomes for our pendant designs. In arts scholars we have discussed what can impact and influence the art we create and are drawn to. This could vary from our environment, experiences with art, creative interests, to personal preferences. I noticed that as we flipped through the magazines, people chose their designs based off of something that they liked or sparked their interest, and this is what made every pendant so unique. Each of us has our own interests and places which we draw inspiration from, so it can be expected that we would see so many different designs and it was so interesting to hear what everyone was making and so much fun to make as well.
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TRYathlon #3: Craft & Chat: Light Painting
Thursday November 16, 2023, Bel Air, Craft & Chat: Light Painting, #Artscholars
On Thursday I attended the ats scholars craft and chat: light painting. I didn’t know what to expect before we began, but it was so much fun. We used lights of different colors and downloaded an app that can take long exposure photos. With a timer for each photo, we drew out patterns, shapes, or just colored in the air. The photo would reveal one image combining all the movements we made with the light.
Painting with light is something that I have never tried before, but I think I will do it again. Trying out a new medium is a way to spread your artistic range and also see what you find fun, interesting, or are just good at. Last year I took ARTT100, and in this class we created 2d art through various mediums. We made collages, traced with marker, painted, and used paper to form shapes and patterns. Through the assignments in this class, we explored so many different forms of art that we could make and saw the endless possibilities within them through each other’s differing products. Similarly, with the light painting I tried something new and explored many different outcomes with a single light. I was also able to see other students’ wonderful ideas as well as combine our ideas to make an even better light painting. Each photo was different even though we used the same materials. There were so many patterns and shapes that we created and there are so many more that we can create in the future.
TRYathlon
Semester 4
As an experiential component of College Park Arts Scholars, I attended a selection of three art events during my fourth semester. These events ranged in art mediums and each sparked dialogue among my peers.
TRYathlon #1: Black Voices Rise Volume II
Saturday February 17, 2024, The Metroplitan Opera, Black Voices Rise Volume II #music
For the first TRYathlon of my fourth semester in Arts Scholars, I visited the Metropolitan Opera website to listen to live audio recordings of the opera performance titled Black Voices Rise Volume II. Though I couldn’t understand the words that they were saying, opera is a very expressive genre, so I was less able to understand through their words, but instead through the volume and tone of the singers I was able to gain a sense of the story they were sharing.
This semester I am a participant in the workshop Harmonize Your Mind: A Playlist Making Workshop. Though this workshop’s main focus is to make playlists, that is not all that we learn. To form cohesive playlists that evoke the same or similar emotions, feelings, ideas, and maybe even colors we have to look at the musical elements and techniques that are being used and how they impact the song. We have learned about sound and how loud or quiet a song may be can be used to emphasize certain parts or portray a certain energy. We also learned about tone which can help a singer be more expressive with their voices to further convey a message in the song. These were the main elements that I picked up on while listening to the opera performance. Some parts were very loud with loud instruments and many voices. These parts seemed more intense and full of energy. Some parts became quiet with a single voice and low music or no music at all. The singer would sometimes slur the words making this part feel smooth and melancholy. Throughout the performance of the sounds, there were constant shifts from high energy and loud sound to more relaxed energy and low sound. Traveling through and in between both sounds formed an overall dynamic piece that enabled me to understand the main ideas through the emotions of the sound rather than the language of the words.
TRYathlon #2: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Friday March 15, 2024, MAX, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom #film
I watched the movie Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom with my family. This was a very action-packed and high-energy movie, but while watching it I wanted to focus on the elements that fall to the background or don’t normally receive direct attention.
In arts scholars I am a part of the harmonizing your mind: a playlisting workshop. A topic that we talked about with music is how it can impact how a film is perceived. Different kinds of music can bring a different energy to a scene and denote an emotion that directors wish to convey. While watching Aquaman 2 I focused on the music that was playing in the background. The volume became very loud during action scenes and then slowed down and decreased its volume during emotional scenes. I also noticed that in moments that they wanted to highlight for either dramatic or comedic effect, the music would suddenly stop and then resume. This emphasized the quiet moment and drew the viewers’ attention. The dynamic music choices helped to define the emotion and energy of the movie, changing to represent what was going on at that moment. Though we don’t always realize that this is happening, music further develops a cohesive scene allowing the viewers to gain a deeper understanding of what is going on. Similar to what we talk about in the workshop, music can have greater impacts than just being appealing sounds
an the language of the words.
TRYathlon #3: Craft & Chat Pen Pal with Friends
Wednesday March 27, 2024, Bel Air Lounge, Craft & Chat Pen Pal with Friends #artsscholars #presentation
I attended the letter-making craft and chat on Wednesday. I hadn’t written a letter in such a long time, so it was so much fun to decorate my paper and write my letter.
Writing letters does not only have to be just the words on the paper itself. Writing letters can become a medium of art. I’m arts scholars we learn that art can come in many forms and be presented in many ways. With letters, you are writing to someone to express your thoughts and feelings, opinions on a topic, show someone your care, and so much more. We also decorated our letters which made them even more artistic and fun to create. Since these letters didn’t have a rubric, they weren’t for a grade, and we were not given a specific topic, we had the range to write about whatever we wanted to whoever we wanted to. When I chose who I wanted to write to, I wasn’t limited by what I could write about, so I wrote about anything that came to my mind. I think the open range made the letter more genuine. I wrote to my brother and just thought about the current things that are going on in his life. Writing this letter was so much fun, so I think that I still start writing more letters now.
